A whistle blower has suggested that Shropshire Council does not properly monitor its highway contractors, Kier and WSP.

November 5, 2019 11:24 AM

A series of questions will be submitted to the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee next Thursday September 7th by Underdale Councillor, David Vasmer, on behalf of members from Liberal Democrat Group.

"We have been sent copies of a series of emails from a former Senior Quantity Surveyor who worked as a contractor for Shropshire Council monitoring the operation of the Kier and WSP contracts," explained Cllr Vasmer. "He was very concerned about the monitoring of the Council's contracts with Kier and WSP."

"This former contractor tried to raise his concerns with senior officers within Shropshire Council, but his concerns do not appear to have been investigated in contravention of the Council's own whistleblowing policy."

"In order to ensure that his concerns are investigated this former Senior Quantity Surveyor passed some information to me because he was worried that contracts were not being affectively monitored."

"As a result, on behalf of Lib Dem colleagues I am tabling a series of questions to the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee in the expectation that there will be a thorough investigation of these claims."

"The Council's external auditors, Grant Thornton, are also being informed of the questions being tabled at the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday."

"Everybody in Shropshire knows that the Council's Highways Department has not been operating effectively for some time; and since Kier took over, the situation appears to have got worse. That is why a motion was submitted to the Council Meeting in September demanding that the operation of the contract be investigated."

"The information we have received suggests that such an investigation is urgently needed, and a preliminary report be made to the next meeting of the Council. Many may not be aware that a highways officer was suspended a few months ago but no explanation was given to Opposition Councillors about this suspension. Shropshire's Council Taxpayers deserve some explanations."

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